Foot-vise.



PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

J W FORD FOOT VISE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.11, 1905.

JOHN W. FORD, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FOOT-VISE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,847, dated March14, 1905.

Application filed January 11, 1905. Serial No. 240,632.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. FORD, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Vises; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in foot-Vises or instrumentsadapted for use by blacksmiths and others for holding articles, ashorseshoes and other metal parts, in place while shaping or forming themto suit the required purpose.

My object is to provide a device of this class which shall beexceedingly simple in construction, economical in cost, reliable,durable, and efficient in use; and to these ends the invention consistsof the features, arrangements, and combinations hereinafter describedand claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved foot-vise,showing the movable member in the closed position. Fig. 2 is a similarview, partly in section, showing the movable member in the openposition. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, viewed inthe direction of the arrow. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary detail viewillustrating the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, but on a largerscale. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail View of the upper part of thestationary jaw, being a View looking in the direction of the arrow 5 inFig. 1. Fig. 6 is a similar View of the upper part of the movable memberlooking in the direction of arrow 6 in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an underneathview of the lever, showing its roller fulcrumed in section, a portion ofthe lever being detached and its spring being omitted. In this view theparts are shown on a larger scale than in the other views.

.The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a stationary block or post to which issecured the lower part of the stationary member 6. The upper extremityof this member 6 consists of a stationary jaw 7. The member 6 isT-shaped in cross-section. Let 6 designate the web of this member, and 6the flanges on opposite sides of the web. The movable member 8 ispivotally connected with the web of the member 6, as shown at 9. Thepart of the movable member above the pivot will be designated 8, and thepart thereof below the pivot will be designated 8. The part of themovable member below the dotted line 10 is bifurcated, forming two arms8, which pass through the flanges 6 of the stationary member andstraddle the web 6 of the last-named member. The lower extremities ofthe arms 8 are curved outwardly from the stationary member, and they areconnected by a pin 8 The upper extremity of the movable member isprovided with a jaw 8 which cooperates With the jaw 7 of the stationarymember.

Pivotally connected at the base of the movable member, as shown at 12,is a U-shaped lever-arm 13, which straddles the lower part of themovable member. Upon the arm 13 is mounted a locking-lever 14, which isconnected with the arm by a spindle 15, carrying a roller 16, havingbearing parts 16, located on opposite sides of the lever and engagingthe arms 8 of the movable member. The said roller is provided with acentral circumferential groove. T his central grooved part of the rolleris engaged by the locking-lever, which is therefore fulcrumed on theroller. The locking-lever is made in two parts bolted together afterthey are applied to the roller. Hence the locking-lever is locatedbetween the parallel parts of the U-shaped operating leverarm. The outerarm 14 of the lever 1a, or the arm farther from the stationary member,is channeled, while the opposite arm lei is solid. The arm 14 isdivided, the two parts being connected by a pin 14 The two parts of thearm 14.: are designated A and B, the part A being nearer the fulcrum.The part B is connected with the part A in such a manner that the part Bhas independent movement in one direction only, and 1t1s normally heldin aline- ICO wardly therefrom toward the movable mem-- ber, the lowerportions of the springs engag mg the respective arms 8 of the last-namedmember. Hence the tendency of these leafsprings is to hold the movablemember in the open position, or that shown in Fig. 2, whereby the jaws 7and 8 are separated.

In describing the operation of my improved device let D represent thefloor orsurface upon which the device stands or is mounted. Now assumingthat the parts are in the open position, or that shown in Fig. 2, and itis desired to close the jaws or move the jaw 8 toward the jaw 7, theoperator places his foot upon the outer extremity of the operating-arm13 and forces the same downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1.Duringthis downward movement of the arm 13 the channel-arm 14 of thelocking-lever 1 1 strikes the floor I) with suflicient force to throwthe arm 14 to the locking position, or into engagement with the toothededge E of the stationary member. This occurs just before theoperating-arm 13 assumes the horizontal or approximately the horizontalposition. Assuming now that the movable jaw 8 is against the stationaryjaw 7 or against a part (not shown) between the two jaws, there will bea tendency for the lower part 8 of the movable member to move outwardlyor away from the stationary member; but this it cannot do, since the arm14 of the locking-lever is in engagement with the toothed edge of thestationary member, since in order that the lower portion of the movablemember may move outwardly it must carry the locking-lever with it, andthis would cause the fulcrum 15 of the locking-lever to travel in an arcF (see Fig. 1) in the direction indicated by arrow (0, or toward thestationary member, which of course is impossible. Attention is called tothe fact that in the successful operation of this device the arm 13should not be allowed to pass below the horizontal line G shown in Fig.1, since if it should the locking-lever could not hold the movablemember in the closed position, as in this event the fulcrum-pin 15 intraveling in the arc F would move away from the stationary member duringthe initial movement of the lower part of the movable member, and thismovement would of course disengage the locking-lever from the toothedpart of the member 6. Now assuming that the parts are in the lockedposition, as shown in Fig. 1, if it is desired to unlock the movablemember the operator places his foot upon the outer extremity of thelocking-lever and a slight downward pressure will cause the part A ofthe lever-arm 14 to move upwardly, while the part B of said arm engagesthe toothed edge E. This will break the lever-arm. so to speak,sufliiciently to disengage the part B from the toothed edge E, and thusrelease the movable member in a manner that will be readily understood.In this event the locking-lever will be thrown to position shown in Fig.2, and the leaf-spring C will again throw the part B into alinement withthe part A of the lever-arm 14:

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a foot-vise,the combination of a stationary member and a movable member, the movablemember being pivoted on the stationary member, an operating lever-armpivotally connected with the stationary member below the pivot of themovable member, and a locking-lever fulcrumed on the operating-lever,the fulcrum of the locking-lever being provided with a bearing whichengages the movable member below the pivot of the latter, thelocking-lever having a jointed arm, a spring for normally holding thetwo parts of the jointed arm in alinement, the stationary member beingprovided with a notched or toothed part which is engaged by the jointedarm of the locking-lever when the movable member is in the closedposition.

2. In a foot-vise, the combination of a stationary member, a movablemember pivotally mounted on the stationary member, a spring normallyholding the movable member in the open position, an operating lever-armpivotally connected with the lower part of the stationary member, and alocking lever fulcrumed on the operating-lever, the fulcrum of thelocking-lever having a bearing which engages the lower part of themovable member, the latter being so shaped that the fulcrum bearing onthe locking-lever acts to close the operating-jaw of the movable member,as the operating-lever is thrust downwardly.

3. In a foot-vise, the combination of a stationary member which isT-shaped in crosssection having flanges on opposite sides of a centralweb, a movable member bifurcated to straddle the stationary member, thearms of the bifurcated part passing through openings formed in theflanges of the stationary member, the movable member being pivotallyconnected with the web of the stationary member, the lower parts of thebifurcated portion of the movable member being curved outwardly from thestationary member, an operating lever-arm pivotally connected with thelower part of the stationary member, the lever-arm being U-shaped andstraddling the lower portion of the movable member, and a locking-leverlocated between the two parts of the U-shaped lever-arm and fulcrumedthereon, the said locking-lever having bearings at its fulcrum whichengage the curved arms of the bifurcated portion of the movable member.7

4. In a foot-vise, the combination of an upwardly-projecting stationarymember, a movable member having a jaw at its upper eX- tremity andbifurcated below the jaw to straddle the stationary member and pivotallyconnected with the latter, springs mounted on the stationary member,acting on the movable member and having a tendency to hold it in theopen position, an operating lever-arm connected with the lower part ofthe stationary member and bifurcated to straddle the lower part of themovable member, the latter being outwardly curved, a locking-leverfulcrumed on the operating lever-arm and having bearings at its fulcrumengaging the lower curved portion of the movable member, one arm of thelocking-lever being jointed and a leafspring having one extremityconnected with the part nearer the fulcrum while the other extremitybears upon the other part whereby the two parts are normally held inalinement, the stationary member being notched to engage the spring-heldarm of the locking-lever when the operating-lever is thrust downwardly,Substantially as descrlbed.

5. In a foot-vise, the combination'of a stationary member, a movablemember pivotally 3 connected with the stationary member, an operatinglever-arm, and a locking-lever fulcrumed on the lever-arm and carrying abearing engaging the movable member.

6. In a foot-vise, the combination of a sta- 35 tionary member, amovable member pivotally connected therewith, an operating lever-arm, aroller journaled on the arm and bearing on the movable member, and alocking-lever fulcrumed on the roller.

7. In a foot-vise, the combination of a stationary member, a movablemember pivotally connected therewith, an operating lever-arm, a rollerjournaled on the arm, a locking-lever fulcrumed on the roller, thelatter having a 45 circumferential groove engaged by the lever, theroller also having bearing parts engaging the movable member on oppositesides of the lever-arm. 4

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in 5 presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN IV. FORD.

\Vitnesses:

DENA NELSON, A. G. EBERT.

